Mali’s government faces calls for an independent investigation following the deaths of at least 22 men who were reportedly killed while in military custody. Human Rights Watch has urged a credible inquiry into the alleged extrajudicial executions that took place on May 12, 2025, in Diafarabé, central Mali. Witnesses reported finding the victims’ bodies three days later in shallow mass graves with their throats slit.
On May 16, Mali’s armed forces chief of staff announced a gendarmerie investigation into the disappearances and deployed a military team to collect testimonies and conduct searches. However, Human Rights Watch expressed concerns over the independence and impartiality of this military-led inquiry.
“The killing of at least 22 men in military custody puts a burden on the Malian authorities to demonstrate that its investigation is credible and to make public its findings,” stated Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch. She added that authorities should prosecute those responsible and provide compensation to victims’ families.
Human Rights Watch interviewed witnesses and survivors who described how soldiers arrested Fulani traders during a military operation in Diafarabé’s cattle market. The soldiers allegedly tied up the men before taking them across the Niger River. One survivor recounted narrowly escaping execution after being taken near Diafarabé cemetery where others had their throats slit.
Local protests erupted as women demanded information about their missing relatives from soldiers stationed at Diafarabé military base. The protest led to a delegation visiting the site where they found bodies buried in mass graves.
The incident occurred amid ongoing conflict involving Islamist armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State operating since 2012. These groups have recruited from the Fulani community, leading some witnesses to believe soldiers targeted Fulani men due to suspected collaboration with militants.
Human Rights Watch has documented abuses by Malian security forces during counterinsurgency operations across Mali including mass killings and enforced disappearances of civilians. International humanitarian law prohibits violence against anyone in custody under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.
Allegrozzi called for suspending Diafarabé’s military base commander pending investigation results: “The authorities need to take all necessary measures to ensure that survivors and witnesses are protected.”
